Compressor having cylindrical shape vane

ABSTRACT

A compressor having cylindrical shape vanes, in which the compressor comprises a cylinder assembly having a suction flow path and a discharge flow path connected to an inner space and having vane insertion holes penetrated as a circular shape at upper and lower surfaces thereof; a Z-plate for dividing the inner space into a plurality of compression spaces in the cylinder assembly and for making a fluid be sucked, compressed, and discharged by being rotated by a motor unit; and cylindrical shape vanes inserted to the vane insertion holes and contacted with both sides of the Z-plate for dividing the respective compression spaces into a suction region and a compression region by a reciprocal movement. In the compressor having cylindrical shape vanes, vanes are smoothly operated, a process for construction components is simplified, and its construction components are simple, thereby enhancing a reliability of a driving and enhancing its assembly productivity.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a Z-compressor using a Z-plate,and more particularly, to a compressor having a cylindrical shape vane,which is tightly contacted to both sides of the Z-plate to convert aninner space of a cylinder into a suction region and a compressionregion.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Generally, a compressor is a device for converting mechanicalenergy into compression energy of a compression fluid, and arefrigerating compressor is largely classified into a reciprocationcompressor, a scroll compressor, a centrifugal compressor, and a rotarycompressor by compression methods.

[0003] The present applicant has developed a compressor having a Z-platewith a novel concept, which can be classified into the rotary compressor(hereinafter, will be called as ‘Z’-compressor), and filed anapplication for the invention to the Korean Industrial Patent Office(Application No. 10-1999-0042381) which has been disclosed with apublication number 2001-0035687.

[0004]FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate a compression unit of a Z-compressorwhich is first claimed by D the present applicant.

[0005] As shown in the Figures, a compression unit of a Z-compressorincludes a cylinder assembly having an inner space V and provided with asuction flow path f1 and a discharge flow path f2 connected to the innerspace V to be fixed to the hermitic container 10, and a rotary axis 20engaged to the motor unit M which generates a driving force and insertedto penetrate a center of the inner space V of the cylinder assembly D.

[0006] The cylinder assembly D includes a cylinder 30 having a ringshape therein, and upper and lower bearings 40 and 50 respectivelyengaged to upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder 30 for forming aninner space V with the cylinder 30 and for supporting the rotary axis20.

[0007] The upper and lower bearings 40 and 50 includes bearing plateportions 41 and 51, supporting portions 42 and 52 extended from thebearing plate portions 41 and 51 with a predetermined height and anouter diameter, axis insertion holes, 43 and 53 formed to penetrate acenter of the supporting portions 42 and 52 and the bearing plateportions 41 and 51, and vane slots 44 and 54 penetrated at one side ofthe plate portions 41 and 51.

[0008] The bearing plate portion 41 of the upper bearing 40 covers oneside of the cylinder 30 and is engaged thereto. Also, the bearing plate51 of the lower bearing 50 covers the other side of the cylinder 30 andis engaged thereto.

[0009] The rotary axis 20 includes an axis portion 21 inserted to theaxis insertion holes 43 and 53 of the upper and lower bearings 40 and 50with a predetermined outer diameter and a length, and a Z-plate 22extended from one side of the axis portion 21 for dividing the innerspace V into first and second spaces V1 and V2.

[0010] The Z-plate 22 is formed as a circular shape having apredetermined thickness, and when seen at a lateral side, the Z-plate iscomposed of an upper side convex curved surface portion r1 having aconvex surface, a lower concave curved surface portion r2 having aconcave surface, and a connection curved surface portion r3 forconnecting the r1 and r2. That is, the Z-plate 22 is a curved surface ofa sine wave type, in which the convex bent surface portion r1 and theconcave curved surface portion r2 are formed with an angle of 180° eachother.

[0011] Vanes 70 are respectively inserted to the vane slot 44 of theupper bearing 40 and the vane slot 54 of the lower bearing 50. Anelasticity supporting member 80 for supporting the vanes 70 isrespectively engaged to the upper and lower bearings 40 and 50. At thistime, the vanes 70 are respectively located at upper and lower portionsof the Z-plate 22 and have a same phase when the cylinder assembly D isseen on a horizontal plane.

[0012] The vanes 70 includes a contact curved surface portion 72 of arounding shape contacted with a sine wave type curved surface of theZ-plate 22 at one side of a vane body 71 having a predeterminedthickness as a square form, an outer curved surface portion 73 contactedwith an inner wall of the inner space V of the cylinder assembly D atboth sides of the vane body 71, and an inner curved surface portion 74contacted with an outer circumference portion of the rotary axis 20. Thevane slots 44 and 54 for inserting the vanes 70 are formed as a squareform correspondingly to a sectional shape of the vanes 70.

[0013] The elasticity supporting means 80 includes a stopper 81 engagedto an upper surface of the bearing, and a compression coil spring 82engaged in the stopper 81 for elastically supporting the vanes 70.

[0014] An open/close means 90 for opening/closing the discharge flowpath f2 and discharging gas compressed in the compression region V1 band V2 b of the first and second spaces V1 and V2 is engaged to thecylinder assembly D. Also, a suction pipe 100 is engaged to the hermeticcontainer 10 to be connected to the suction flow path f1.

[0015] In FIG. 1, a reference numeral 110 denotes a muffler.

[0016] Operations of the Z-compressor will be explained.

[0017] First, if the rotary axis 20 rotates by receiving a driving forceof the motor unit M, the Z-plate 22 of the rotary axis 20 rotates at theinner space V of the cylinder assembly D. As the Z-plate 22 of therotary axis rotates at the inner space V of the cylinder assembly D, thevanes 70 contacted with the Z-plate 22 move together, so that the firstand second spaces V1 and V2 of the inner space divided by the Z-plate 22are converted into a suction region V1 a and V2 a respectively, and gasis sucked, compressed, and discharged by the open/close means 90, whichis repeated.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, as the Z-plate 22 of the rotary axis rotatesat the inner space V of the cylinder assembly D, the vanes 70 located ina radial manner from an axis of the Z-plate 22 are elastically supportedby the compression coil spring 82 of the elasticity supporting means 80,guided by the vane slots 44 and 54, and reciprocate up and down (indrawing) straightly along the sine wave type curved surface of theZ-plate 22.

[0019] However, in the conventional Z-compressor, the vanes 70 fordividing the first and second spaces V1 and V2 of the inner space bymoving up and down along the Z-plate 22 and for converting the first andsecond spaces V1 and V2 into suction regions V1 a and V2 a andcompression regions V1 b and V2 b are formed as a square plate shape,thereby having a difficult process.

[0020] Also, the vane slots 44 and 54 for inserting the vanes 70 have apredetermined width and a length, and inner walls of the both sides areformed as a square shapes with curved surfaces, thereby havingdifficulty in processing the vane slots 44 and 54 and lowering a processproductivity.

[0021] Especially, since a precision finishing has to be performedbetween the vanes 70 and the vane slots 44 and 54 for inserting thevanes so as not to leak compression gas, a process ability is reduced,thereby having a problem that a large amount of production is notpossible.

[0022] Also, a construction of the elasticity supporting means 80 forelastically supporting the vanes 70 is complicated, thereby lowering aprocess productivity.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide acompressor having cylindrical shape vanes, in which the vanes are incontact with both sides of the Z-plate for converting the inner spacedivided by the Z-plate into a suction region and a compression region,thereby facilitating a process and simplifying a construction.

[0024] To achieve these objects, there is provided a compressor havingcylindrical shape vanes, the compressor comprising a cylinder assemblyhaving a suction flow path and a discharge flow path connected to aninner space and having vane insertion holes penetrated as a circularshape at upper and lower surfaces; a Z-plate for dividing the innerspace into a plurality of compression spaces in the cylinder assemblyand for making a fluid be sucked, compressed, and discharged by beingrotated by a motor part; and cylindrical shape vanes inserted to thevane insertion holes and contacted with both sides of the Z-plate fordividing the respective compression spaces into a suction region and acompression region by a reciprocal movement.

[0025] The vanes further include one wire spring for supplyingelasticity force so as to adhere the vanes to the Z-plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a compression unitof a Z-compressor in accordance with the conventional art;

[0027]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a compression unit of aZ-compressor in accordance with the conventional art;

[0028]FIG. 3 is a partially-cut perspective view showing a compressionunit of a Z-compressor in accordance with the conventional art and avane enlargement view;

[0029]FIG. 4 is a detail view showing an elasticity supporting means ofa Z-compressor in accordance with the conventional art;

[0030]FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a compression unitof a Z-compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to thepresent invention;

[0031]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a compression unit of aZ-compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to the presentinvention and a detail view of vanes;

[0032]FIG. 7 is a partially- cut perspective view showing a compressionunit of a Z-compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to thepresent invention;

[0033]FIG. 8 is a disassembled perspective view showing main parts of aZ-compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to the presentinvention; and

[0034]FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing main parts of aZ-compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to the presentinvention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Hereinafter, the compressor having cylindrical shape vanesaccording to the present invention will be explained with reference tothe attached drawings.

[0036]FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a Z-compressor having cylindricalshape vanes according to the present invention. Parts having the sameconstructions with the conventional art will be endowed the samereference numerals.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 5, a compression unit of a Z-compressorincludes a cylinder assembly having an inner space V and provided with asuction flow path f1 and a discharge flow path f2 connected to the innerspace V to be fixed to the hermitic container 10, and a rotary axis 20engaged to the motor unit M which generates a driving force and insertedto penetrate a center of the inner space V of the cylinder assembly D.

[0038] The cylinder assembly D includes a cylinder 30 having a ringshape therein, and upper and lower bearings 40 and 50 respectivelyengaged to upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder 30 for forming aninner space V with the cylinder 30 and for supporting the rotary axis20.

[0039] The upper and lower bearings 40 and 50 includes bearing plateportions 41 and 51, supporting portions 42 and 52 extended from one sideof the bearing plate portions 41 and 51 with a predetermined height andan outer diameter, axis insertion holes, 43 and 53 formed to penetrate acenter of the supporting portions 42 and 52 and the bearing plateportions 41 and 51, and vane slots 44 and 54 penetrated at one side ofthe plate portions 41 and 51.

[0040] In the upper bearing 40, the bearing plate portion 41 covers oneside of the cylinder 30 and the rotary axis 20 is inserted to the axisinsertion hole 43. Also, in the lower bearing 50, the bearing plate 51covers the other side of the cylinder and the rotary axis 20 is insertedto the axis insertion hole 53.

[0041] The rotary axis 20 includes an axis portion 21 inserted to theaxis insertion holes 43 and 53 of the upper and lower bearings 40 and 50with a predetermined outer diameter and a length, and a Z-plate 22extended from one side of the axis portion 21 for dividing the innerspace V into first and second spaces V1 and V2.

[0042] The Z-plate 22 is formed as a circular shape having apredetermined thickness, and when seen at a lateral side, the Z-plate iscomposed of an upper side convex curved surface portion r1 having aconvex surface, a lower side concave curved surface portion r2 having aconcave surface, and a connection curved surface portion r3 forconnecting the r1 and r2. That is, the Z-plate 22 is a curved surface ofa sine wave, in which the convex curved surface portion r1 and theconcave curved surface portion r2 are located with an angle of 180° eachother.

[0043] Vanes of a cylindrical shape having a predetermined length 120are respectively inserted to the vane inserting hole 45 of the upperbearing and the vane inserting hole 55 of the lower bearing. The vanesare respectively located in the first and second spaces V1 and V2. Anelasticity supporting member 130 for supporting the vanes 120 isrespectively engaged to the upper and lower bearings 40 and 50. At thistime, the vanes 120 are respectively located at upper and lower portionsof the Z-plate 22 and have a same phase when the cylinder assembly D isseen on a horizontal plane.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 8, the vanes 120 includes a cylindrical body 121having an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the vaneinserting holes 45 and 55 and a predetermined length, and a contactcurved surface portion 122 of a rounding shape contacted with a curvedsurface of the Z-plate 22 at one side of the cylindrical body 121. Theinner diameter of the vane inserting holes 45 and 55 and the outerdiameter of the vanes 120 are formed to be equal to a distance betweenan inner circumference surface of the cylinder 30 and an outercircumference surface of the rotary axis 22.

[0045] The elasticity supporting means 130 includes a fixation recess123 having a predetermined width and a depth at one side surface of thevanes 120, and a wire spring 131 having both ends of a predeterminedshape, the both ends respectively inserted to the fixation recess 123 ofthe vanes 120.

[0046] The fixation recess 123 of the vanes 120 is formed as a straightline shape at a center of one side surface of the cylindrical body witha predetermined width and a depth. The wire spring 131 includes a bentwire portion 131 a formed as a ‘C-channel’ shape, an extended wireportion 131 b respectively extended from both ends of the wire portion131 a as a straight line form, and a fixation wire portion 131 c bentand extended from the both ends of the extended wire portion 131 b andrespectively inserted to the fixation recess 123 of the vanes 120.

[0047] An open/close means 90 for opening/closing the discharge flowpath f2 and for discharging gas compressed in the compression regions V1b and V2 b of the first and second spaces V1 and V2 is engaged to thecylinder assembly D. Also, a suction pipe 100 connected to the suctionflow path f1 is engaged to the hermetic container 10.

[0048] An unexplained code 110 denotes a muffler.

[0049] Hereinafter, operations and effects of the Z-compressor havingcylindrical shape vanes according to the present invention will beexplained.

[0050] First, if the rotary axis 20 rotates by receiving a driving forceof the motor unit M, the Z-plate 22 of the rotary axis 20 rotates at theinner space V of the cylinder assembly D.

[0051] As the Z-plate 22 of the rotary axis rotates at the inner space Vof the cylinder assembly, the vanes 120 contacted with the Z-plate 22move together, so that the first and second spaces V1 and V2 of theinner space divided by the Z-plate 22 are converted into a suctionregion V1 a and V2 a respectively, and gas is sucked in the first andsecond spaces V1 and V2, compressed, and discharged by the open/closemeans 90, which is repeated.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, as the Z-plate 22 of the rotary axis rotatesat the inner space V of the cylinder assembly, the vanes 120 elasticallysupported by the wire spring 131 of the elasticity supporting means 130are guided by the vane inserting holes 45 and 55 and reciprocate up anddown (in drawing) straightly along the sine wave type surface of theZ-plate 22.

[0053] At this time, since the vanes 120 are elastically connected toone another at the same time by the wire spring 131, the vanes move upand down together and the two vanes 120 and the wire spring 131 movetogether, thereby making the two vanes 120 move along the sine wave typesurface of the Z-plate stably.

[0054] Also, in the Z-compressor according to the present invention, thevanes 120 for dividing the first and second spaces V1 and V2 of theinner space by moving up and down along the Z-plate 22 of the rotaryaxis and for converting the first and second spaces V1 and V2 intosuction regions V1 a and V2 a and compression regions V1 b and V2 b areformed as a cylindrical shape, that is, an outer diameter of the vane isa constant cylindrical shape, thereby having an easy process. Also, thevane inserting holes 45 and 55 for inserting the vanes 120 are circularholes having a predetermined inner diameter, thereby having an easyprocess.

[0055] Also, the elasticity supporting means 130 for elasticallysupporting the vanes 120 is made of the wire spring 131 having apredetermined shape, thereby having simple construction components. Thatis, in the conventional art, the elasticity supporting means is made oftwo stoppers 81 and two compression coil springs 82, thereby havingcomplicated construction components. However, in the present invention,the elasticity supporting means is made of the fixation recess 123 andthe wire spring 131 provided at the vanes 120, thereby having simpleconstruction components.

[0056] In the compressor having cylindrical shape vanes according to thepresent invention, the vanes are formed as a cylindrical shape andprovided with elasticity force by one wire spring, so that the vanes areoperated smoothly and a process of construction components becomes easyand simple. According to this, a reliability of a driving is enhanced, afabrication cost is reduced, and a process productivity is enhanced.

[0057] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the plasma polymerization onthe surface of the material of the present invention without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that thepresent invention cover modifications and variations of this inventionprovided they come within the scope of the appended claims and theirequivalents.

1. A compressor having cylindrical shape vanes, the compressorcomprising: a cylinder assembly having a suction flow path and adischarge flow path connected to an inner space and having vaneinsertion holes penetrated as a circular shape at upper and lowersurfaces thereof; a Z-plate for dividing the inner space into aplurality of compression spaces in the cylinder assembly and for makinga fluid be sucked, compressed, and discharged by being rotated by amotor unit; and cylindrical shape vanes inserted to the vane insertionholes and contacted with both sides of the Z-plate for dividing therespective compression spaces into a suction region and a compressionregion by a reciprocal movement.
 2. The compressor of claim 1, whereinthe cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having a ring shape, and upperand lower bearings respectively engaged to upper and lower surfaces ofthe cylinder for supporting a rotary axis which rotates the Z-plate. 3.The compressor of claim 2, wherein the vane insertion holes are formedat the upper and lower bearings.
 4. The compressor of claim 1 furthercomprises an elasticity supporting means for tightly contacting therespective vanes to the Z-plate behind the vanes.
 5. The compressor ofclaim 4, wherein the elasticity supporting means is composed of one wirespring for supplying elastic force to the vanes at the same time.
 6. Thecompressor of claim 5, wherein the vanes include a fixation recess forinserting the wire spring, respectively.
 7. The compressor of claim 5,wherein the wire spring has a ‘C-channel’ shape.
 8. The compressor ofclaim 5, wherein the wire spring includes a bent wire portion formed asa ‘C-channel’ shape, an extended wire portion bent and extended fromboth ends of the wire portion as a straight line form, and a fixationwire portion bent and extended from both ends of the extended wireportion and fixed to the cylindrical shape vanes.
 9. A compressor havingcylindrical shape vanes, the compressor comprising: a cylinder assemblyhaving a suction flow path and a discharge flow path connected to aninner space and having vane insertion holes penetrated as a circularshape at upper and lower surfaces thereof; a Z-plate for dividing theinner space into a plurality of compression spaces in the cylinderassembly and for making a fluid be sucked, compressed, and discharged bybeing rotated by a motor part; two cylindrical shape vanes inserted tothe vane insertion holes and contacted with both sides of the Z-platefor dividing the respective compression spaces into a suction region anda compression region by a reciprocal movement; and one wire spring forsupplying elastic force so as to adhere the two vanes to the Z-plate.